Gamma-Ray Bursts Help Define 'Theory of Everything'

Space Bursts Provide Insight to Theory of Everything

Light from some of the universe's most energetic explosions is allowing scientists to probe the nature of space-time, according to new observations of so-called gamma-ray bursts from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Ikaros spacecraft. Photons released by these bursts help place limits on a unified model of all of the forces of nature -- what scientists call a "theory of everything."

Using the Gamma-Ray Burst Polarimeter (GAP) onboard the spacecraft, a team of Japanese scientists have made the most precise measurements of energetic gamma-ray burst photons to date. "This result puts a fundamental constraint on quantum gravity, a dream theory reconciling Einstein's theory of relativity and quantum theory," Kenji Toma, of Osaka University, said in a statement.